


Take care

by schrijverr



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Absent John Winchester, Dean Winchester is Sam Winchester's Parent, Gen, High School, POV Outsider, Pre-Canon, Teachers POV, Young Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25999945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schrijverr/pseuds/schrijverr
Summary: The perspective of a teacher on a young Dean, both in school and a brief moment outside of school.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 200





	Take care

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me and this work on tumblr, I'm @schrijverr on there as well. I do request, but I also love to talk to you so hit me up! :D

Mr. Johnson had been a Math teacher at the same school for ten years now. 

It was a school in the better part of town and most of the kids in his classes could afford to go to college without much fuss. That made them easy to read and easy to see through the characters they were trying to put on, no bad boy is really a bad boy if he was born a silver spoon, Mr. Johnson thought. 

This is why he was very surprised when Dean Winchester walked into his class.

The boy was sixteen, but had eyes that were wise beyond his years, he wore secondhand clothes and a too big leather jacket. He had bruises under his eyes, but a smirk firm in place. He was exactly the type to skip, but he was always present with completed homework, most of the time, just sleeping in the back of the classroom.

When Mr. Johnson had asked why he even bothered to show up if he wasn’t going to pay attention, he had looked at him with a raised brow and answered: “If school is already a waste of my time, how much do you think detention would be?” and then he had continued his nap.

Dean got along with everybody and anybody. He was a people person, knew how to navigate crowds and with the track record of different schools that made sense. Dean was used to being the new kid. But Mr. Johnson noticed that although he got along, he never fit in. Dean kept his distance and kept to himself.

The puzzle that was Dean Winchester grew, when Mr. Johnson spotted him in the local store, it was the cheaper option in town and Mr. Johnson always went there to avoid his students. Yet, here Dean was comparing two different macaroni packets, while a younger boy hung on his arm with a whine-y face. He heard the younger one say: “Why can’t I get, it’s a book. What’s wrong about getting a book?”

Dean looked at him with tired eyes and got down to eye level as he said: “I have 50 dollars, Sammy. Dad won’t be home for three days and we need food, laundry detergent and gas, if we buy the book we won’t have enough money in case of an emergency.”

The boy, Sammy, sulked: “You mean in case dad stays away longer.”

“Sam,” Dean have the kid a sharp look, “I know you hate it, but what dad does is important, so put yourself aside for a sec, yeah. You can ask dad to buy you the book when he gets home.”

“Like he will. He never does anything normal.” Sam pouted.

From his place Mr. Johnson could see Dean sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose like a tired parent, who had to explain something too many times, again and again. Mr. Johnson wondered how he hadn’t seen this Dean, a Dean who was all alone with a huge weight on his shoulders. 

Suddenly the dark bruises under his eyes made sense. He had to do his homework, but also parent in wake of an absent father. Mr. Johnson of course didn’t know of the nights spend watching the windows in the hope nothing would show up, except maybe a big black car.

Mr. Johnson listened to the answer Dean gave Sam: “Sam, will you shut up about it. Normal isn’t always better, okay. I don’t want to fight with you, so save your complaining for dad.”

“But,” Sam started saying, but Dean talked over him: “No buts, or there won’t be marshmallow mac ‘n cheese. Now, let me focus.”

He stared at the prices of the different packets and the size, then he grabbed a pen and started writing something down. Mr. Johnson took this as his chance to walk by and peered down to what Dean was writing. 

It were equations, Dean was trying to figure out which one had more for cheaper. Mr. Johnson raised his eyebrows, then turned to the shelves on the opposite side of the isle. 

When Dean got up with one option in hand Mr. Johnson stepped back to “accidentally” bump into his student. After they had collided Dean got big eyes as he said: “Mr. Johnson! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there, sir.”

Mr. Johnson smiled at him and said: “No, no, it’s my fault as well, don’t worry about it.”

“Who is this?” Sam asked.

“Just my Math teacher, Sammy.” Dean answered, before turned back to Mr. Johnson.

He let his gaze glide to Deans basket and then over Sam, then he asked: “Helping out around the house?”

Dean smiled tightly and just nodded slightly, but stayed silent. Sam on the other hand had no qualms about opening up, he said: “Dean is in charge now that dad’s on a trip, but he’s being a mean-y. You are a Math teacher, right? Can you tell him that he can buy me the book, no problem, please.”

Dean shot him an angry look and Sam stuck out his tongue in return. Mr. Johnson was trying to figure out what to say to that when Dean saved him: “Sam, quit it. Go grab something to drink, you know the drill, big bottle, cheap, no caffeine.” and when Sam didn’t move he snapped: “Now, or no TV when you’re done with your homework.”

Sam ran and Dean turned back with an apologetic smile and said: “Don’t mind him, just starting puberty, you know how those can be.”

Mr. Johnson raised his eyebrows and with a concerned voice he asked: “Are you alright, Dean? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had a kid very young. You sound like a parent.”

Deans eyes got big and he said: “No, no, don’t worry about it. I’m not-, I’m not Sammys parent. I’m his older brother. My dad just has to travel a lot and without my mom, well, I’m just the best baby-sitter option. It’s nothing, really.”

Mr. Johnson sighed when he realized Dean didn’t want to be saved and decided on saying: “Well, if it becomes too much, don’t hesitate about talking to me, alright?”

“I won’t, Mr. Johnson, thanks for the offer.” Dean said and Mr. Johnson could see in his eyes that they weren’t ever going to talk about this again.

They said their goodbyes and went on with their shopping. Mr. Johnson tried to keep the siblings in his peripheral vision, so he saw Dean chew Sam out in a quiet voice, he was gripping Sam by the shoulder and wagging his finger in front of Sams face, just like a parent, again. 

He stood by another check-out at the same time Dean and Sam were and he heard Dean count the change under his breath and check receipt, before leaving the store with their meager purchases. 

He also saw Dean get a book out of his jacket in the parking lot and hand it over to a happy Sam, who gave his brother a side hug. Mr. Johnson was certain Dean had stolen it, but he also know that Dean didn’t care, not when he looked at Sam with such a soft look in his eyes while the kid babbled on happily.

The next day Dean skipped his class for the first time since he arrived and two days later Dean Winchester was gone, without saying goodbye to anyone. Three weeks later and the school had forgotten about his existence, everyone except Mr. Johnson, who cried years later, when he saw on the news what had become of the boy he hadn’t helped.

**Author's Note:**

> It might feel a bit weird that Sam just brings up their situation to the teacher, but he also wrote a story about hunting werewolfs for school, so...
> 
> Anyway it's been a while since I uploaded pre-canon SPN or Outsider POV SPN, so this was fun. Also sorry to everyone who is following my Youtuber Dean Married Teacher Cas series, I promise I haven't stopped, I've just been really into the Mechs now, so I put it on the backburner, sorry!
> 
> Kudos and Comments give me L I F E, so if you leave any I am so grateful!! <3


End file.
